


Victory: Return

by blackbirdofasgard



Series: Victory [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Canon-Typical Violence, Forgiveness, Happy Ending, Loki is an Avenger, Mild Language, Other, Redemption, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Slow Burn, Tony lived because I Said So, or at least the conclusion of the slow burn from the previous parts, other characters besides Loki and Reader are just background, we've finally reached it guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25172530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackbirdofasgard/pseuds/blackbirdofasgard
Summary: Years after leaving Loki alone in a forest of Alfheim, you come face-to-face with him once again during another attack on New York. This time, though, he's not the one attacking. This time, Loki's on the side of the heroes.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader
Series: Victory [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751533
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope nobody was expecting a long, drawn-out conclusion to this, because this third part of Victory is super short. Only a little more story to go!
> 
> Reader has a mild panic attack in this chapter. (To be fair, it might not be as mild as I think it is. I don't have much experience with that kind of thing.)

It had been over a decade since the initial attack on New York City, when it had been confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt that aliens existed. Within that time, there had been several more attacks of a similar nature.

Greenwich, 2013. Only a little over a year after New York City, when an entire spacecraft had landed, bearing what had supposedly been dark elves.

Sokovia, 2015. Despite the Avengers' insistence to the contrary, many thousands of people believed the attack of the metal men had been aliens. Others vehemently pointed out the resemblance to Tony Stark's Iron Man suits. There were often fierce debates between both sides as to what had really happened.

Then, the most terrifying of all.

2018\. The attack had been worldwide. Everybody on Earth knew the one name associated with the disaster: Thanos. However, half of the world's population only learned the name and the events of the five-year-long war after the fact. Half of the world had been turned to dust, only brought back by a miracle. One second, they were disappearing; the next, it was suddenly five years later.

But thankfully, that segment of human history was over, and the world had moved on as best it could.

Of course, that didn't mean that the rest of the aliens in the universe left them alone.

You screamed as an alien's energy blast hit the grass nearby. You'd been walking in Central Park when this attack had started. Now you were trying to run for one of the emergency shelters that New York had set in place for just such occasions.

It wasn't like New Yorkers had gotten used to alien invasions, but they had at least started getting more prepared for them, seeing as New York City was one of the most frequently attacked cities on the planet. You were really starting to reconsider living there.

You'd been having a hard enough time lately, just living day to day _without_ the threat of death via alien fire raining down on you.

Coming back from being Dusted hadn't been going as smoothly as one might have hoped.

Today's attack was only serving to give you flashbacks to the others and triggering your memories of what had happened to you because of them, not helping your anxiety.

Another shot blasted down from the sky and the alien ships, directly in your path. You skidded to a halt. As your heart thudded in your ears, your breathing picked up, your vision began to tunnel, and your legs started to wobble.

At that moment, you knew for a fact that you couldn't make it to the emergency shelter in this state.

Panic started to set in. Trying not to hyperventilate, you stumbled to the nearest tree you could see, just out of desperation for some kind of cover, for a place where you could try to calm yourself down. You made it to the tree, but it didn't provide the sheltered protection you'd been hoping for.

No sooner had you reached it than an alien's attack blasted through the tree, then hit the ground with a spray of dirt. You hadn't been struck by the beam, but had curled in on yourself to protect yourself from the wood shrapnel and branches sent flying because of it.

With a glance past your arms in front of your face, you saw the tree starting to fall in your direction. It wasn't such a big tree, but there was no doubt in your mind that it falling on you would probably hurt. With a scream and a thought of, _Today sucks_ , you hit the ground and curled into a tight ball, especially covering your head. Luckily, the trunk missed you, but the branches bore down on you, slicing into your skin like whips and trapping you in a net-like entanglement.

As soon as all motion stopped, you tried to get up, knowing you needed cover, no matter whether you were having a panic attack or not. But you soon found that you couldn't move. You pushed against the ground with all your might, but the tree's branches weighed you down too much.

Tears of frustration and fear started streaming down your face. "Oh, God..." you whimpered as you struggled, "I can't-" You broke down in sobs as your panic took over. _I'm going to die here_ , your overly-taxed brain told you, and you believed it.

You were so lost in your panic that you only barely noticed the tree being lifted off you. Looking up, you saw the branches encased in a green glow as it was cast off to the side. The glow faded away as a familiar voice came to you.

"Come with me, quickly!"

Shocked, you whipped your head around to look at the speaker, and saw Loki standing above you in a defensive posture, eyes darting around on the watch for more threats. Sitting up, you croaked, "L-Loki?"

He didn't show any reaction to seeing you, which you weren't sure was genuine or if he was just carefully hiding any emotion other than general concern. "Can you walk?" he asked quickly, reaching a hand out towards you.

You could only gape wordlessly up at him, your mind a complete blank, save for your total and abrupt confusion. _It's Loki. How is he here? Where did he come from? Why is he saving me? What's going on???_

Seeing that no answer to his question was forthcoming, Loki decided that he could wait no longer. You two were in a battleground, after all. He bent down and then the next thing you knew, he'd picked you up in his arms to carry you to safety.

You didn't remember most of the journey to the shelter, or even how Loki got you there. The entire time, you had your eyes closed, trying to block out everything that was happening. It was too much to take in all at once; too much stress for your brain to handle. Squeezing your eyes shut, you clenched a fist against your head as it pounded in time with your heart, a weak attempt to make your headache stop.

But in no time, you reached the emergency shelter and you felt yourself being lowered into a chair of some kind. As soon as you realized that you were sitting down, which meant that you were no longer out in the alien invasion, you opened your eyes.

Loki was already gone.

As you were wheeled away to the medics, you had to wonder if he'd really been there at all.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the latest alien attack, you gather your thoughts and try to determine if it really was Loki that you saw when you were rescued.

In a few days, the alien threat had been taken care of, the city was being cleaned up, and everyone had returned to their homes so they could get back to life as usual. Back in your own apartment, you were still sorting out an issue, though.

It wasn't that you were physically injured. The cuts you'd gotten on the day of the attack had already nearly healed. In fact, when you'd been in the care of the shelter's medical staff, you'd been mostly treated for shock and anxiety. Accordingly, your current problem was also mental.

You'd pulled out the burner phone that Agent Coulson had given you years and years ago, and stared at it sitting in your hand. You'd had no need to use it so far, as no emergencies had arisen. But now, you had a question that you were pretty sure only he or the Avengers could answer.

_Did I really see Loki that day?_

You were currently in the process of working up the nerve to make the call. Was this a good enough reason?

After pondering and debating internally with yourself for nearly an hour, you decided firmly that you needed to have an answer. More than anyone else, you _deserved_ to know for sure what was going on.

You tried to convince yourself that none of your nerves were related to having seen Loki again after so much time.

Before you had a chance to rethink or second-guess yourself, you opened up the phone and dialed the only number contained in its directory. As it rang, you hoped that the phone on the other end hadn't been abandoned after so much time.

You were in luck. After only three rings, it was picked up. "This is Agent Coulson." The voice that answered was exactly as calm and collected as you remembered the man being.

"Hi... Agent Coulson," you greeted, "This is (Y/N). From, uh.. Stark Tower, and the portal incident? I don't know if you'd remember..."

"Of course," Coulson replied. The answer was short, but not rude. His voice had been reassuring. "What trouble are you in now, that you felt the need to call?" he asked.

"Oh, uh... Well, I'm not in trouble exactly," you admitted, your face flushing, "And I know you told me to only call in emergencies, but..." You paused to take a deep breath, then plunged on, "I think Loki saved my life the other day. Am I going crazy?" Waiting with bated breath, you were almost afraid to hear the answer.

"You're not crazy," Coulson assured you, and you let out a quiet sigh of relief as most of the tension left your body. "Loki Odinson has been cooperating and working with the Avengers for several years now," he explained, "We've been keeping it quiet from the public, but we've been considering making an announcement. He was a useful asset in the fight against Thanos."

You listened in silence as Coulson spoke, starting to feel cautiously optimistic. The news he'd relayed had been better than you'd been expecting. "So... he's good now?" you clarified tentatively.

"Well," Coulson answered wryly with a short huff of laughter, "As 'good' as a deity of mischief can get."

"Huh..." you let out, stalling for time as your thoughts whirled. Had Loki taken your advice to heart? Just how long had he been working with the Avengers? You had so many questions, you hardly knew where to begin. "What... what made him change?" you asked at last.

There was silence from Coulson's end of the phone, and you wondered if you'd overstepped past what he was at liberty to share. But before you could hurry on to take back your question, Coulson spoke up. "I can arrange a meeting so you can ask him yourself, if you want."

Your heart leapt. "Yes!" you agreed before you even had time to think. "I mean," you hurried on, trying to rein in your emotions as your voice grew embarrassed, "I would like that."

Sounding amused, Coulson set to asking when would be the best time for you, where to have you picked up, and all the other relevant details. You gave the rest of your answers in a daze. You were going to see Loki again! And this time, he wouldn't be a criminal or conqueror. This time, the two of you wouldn't be on the run and living in the forest. Your heart warmed at the thought, especially when you remembered Loki protecting you from the battle a few days ago.

Your meeting couldn't come soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're wrapping this up quickly now. Get ready for the last chapter!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last, you come face-to-face with Loki again for the first time in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, we've come to the final chapter in the series. I hope you enjoy the not-very-epic-but-still-heartwarming conclusion!
> 
> There are a few instances of using gender neutral 'they/them' pronouns in this chapter. As usual, feel free to substitute whatever are your preferred pronouns in these cases. (Unless 'they/them' are your preferred pronouns, in which case you're already good!)

It was a Friday evening when you appeared in the upstate Avengers facility, led by Coulson. He walked you into what appeared to be a common lounge area where a few of the Avengers were relaxing. As the two of you entered, the room went silent, but you couldn't focus on the attention that was drawing to you. Your heart was pounding hard as your eyes scanned the room.

Steve Rogers, Hawkeye, and Falcon sitting on the couches in front of a TV. Tony Stark standing with a drink. Captain Marvel and the Scarlet Witch sitting together at a table.

Then, finally, Loki sitting in the corner by himself, reading. Or, at least, he _had_ been reading. Now the book was slumping in his hands as he stared back at you, eyes wide with surprise.

Seeing that, you hesitated. "Um, Agent Coulson? If you arranged a meeting, why does it look like nobody expected me?" you questioned under your breath.

"It'll be better this way. Trust me," Coulson replied as he drew closer to where Loki sat, frozen.

You had no choice but to trust him. Everyone in the room was staring at you.

When he came to a stop in front of Loki, Coulson greeted evenly, "Loki, I'm sure you remember (Y/N)?" Loki could only nod. Coulson went on, "It seems you rescued them last week. They'd like to have a word with you." A pleasant almost-smirk crossed his face as he concluded, "You ought to oblige their request."

Slightly confused, you nearly spoke up. Coulson had made it sound like this had been all your idea, when you were pretty sure he was the one who had suggested it in the first place. But before you could clear up the issue, Loki shot to his feet, the book all but forgotten on the side table.

"Yes, I will," he said, "Thank you, Agent; I can take it from here." He locked eyes with you and your heart leapt. "Come with me," he said, gesturing as he walked with you to the door to the outside patio, "We can talk outside."

Once the two of you had escaped from the oppressive, curious stares into the light of the cool evening's sunset, Loki turned to you. He'd stopped at a spot on the patio that was out of everyone else's earshot, but you could still be seen if the others were to look for you.

"It's good to see you again," Loki started carefully, "I'm glad you're well after last week's attack."

"Why didn't you tell me you've been helping the Avengers?" you asked, jumping right into the heart of what you wanted to know, ignoring the small talk.

Loki seemed relieved to ignore the pleasantries as well, though his relief was subtle. His intense eye contact hadn't wavered in the slightest. "I couldn't," he answered.

You nodded. "Because of SHIELD?"

"Because of me," Loki corrected, looking away from your eyes down to the ground.

"What do you mean?" you questioned with a confused frown.

Collecting his thoughts, Loki took a moment to answer. "I haven't done enough yet," he said at last, "You wanted me to be good."

"Loki..." you murmured, feeling an ache in your heart. Your hands twitched towards him. You hesitated. Then, you made your choice. Reaching out, you took his hands. "The minute you chose to help the Avengers, you did enough." Loki's eyes flicked back up to meet yours. His fingers curled around yours in acceptance of your affection. "How long have you been..." you trailed off.

"Since the Convergence," Loki answered, understanding what you wanted to know, "Not long after... after you left me."

You flinched. "Are you mad at me... for that?" you questioned slowly, scared to hear the answer.

"For a while, I was," Loki answered honestly.

This time, you broke the eye contact, looking down, abashed.

At once, Loki brought one hand from yours to your chin and tilted your head back up. Then you could see that there was a gentle smile on his lips. "Not anymore," he assured you, "I was just too proud to admit to myself that you were right."

Relief flooded your heart. Some of it must have showed on your face, because Loki seemed to notice. A spark entered his eyes and his soft smile turned more playful. "Now let me ask a question of you," he requested, "Did you come to me today only to talk?"

~~~~

"It's just weird, is all I'm saying," Clint commented, trying to talk and focus on the video game on the TV in front of him, "Why would they voluntarily want to come right to where Loki is? He mind-controlled them! Why would they want to forgive him?"

"Well, maybe we never really knew the whole story from their time in the tower," Steve suggested with a shrug, watching Clint and Sam's characters fight on screen, "Loki made a pretty quick turnaround, considering what he did." As he spoke, Tony meandered over. "Besides, who can say if they're here to forgive him?" Steve went on.

"I'd say it's a pretty safe bet," Tony spoke up, looking out the patio doors. Everyone else looked at him, silently wondering how he could be so sure. In response, Tony pointed out the doors with the hand that held his drink.

Even from this distance, it was clear that you and Loki were no longer talking, but kissing instead.

"Come to think of it, Barton, you and Loki never really kissed and made up, did you?" Tony quipped, nudging Clint.

Clint looked a little queasy. "Don't even suggest that I would ever-" Clint sputtered, gesturing violently out the doors, "-do that!"

Concerned, Steve perched on the edge of his seat as though he might spring into action at any moment. "He's not forcing himself on them, is he?" he asked seriously.

Just then, you wrapped your arms up around Loki's neck, pulling him closer.

"That's a definite no," Tony smirked.

"I'm out!" Clint said, getting up and tossing his controller to the side, shaking his head.

"Hey, c'mon, man!" Sam protested, "It's no fun whuppin' your ass if you forfeit!"

~~~~

The next morning, you took a few moments to remember what had happened the previous night and where you were. More specifically, whose bed you were in. It didn't take much effort: Loki was still in bed behind you, still had you wrapped up in his arms. Smiling softly to yourself, you listened to his deep breathing for a while. He was clearly still asleep.

Subtly, you tried to snuggle farther back against him without waking him up. You were successful. Though he stirred for a moment, he only tightened his arms around you in his half-asleep state, then settled again.

You smiled ecstatically, hiding your face in the pillow. The two of you had come so far from where you'd started. It had been so long... You couldn't wait to start re-discovering everything that had made you fall in love with Loki in the first place. This time, you wouldn't even try to resist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever you think happened the night before to lead you to stay the night in Loki's bed, the answer is yes. Fill in the blanks with whatever your little hearts desire!
> 
> So there's the happy ending after a long-ish journey of ups and downs. Thank you everyone for your support and lovely comments and kudos. Every little bit of feedback helped, and definitely put a big smile on my face, even if I was reading the comments in public.
> 
> Though this is all I wrote for the Victory series, I may share some of my other stories that I have backlogged, if I find anything good. I've been writing short little things for the MCU with a small circle of my friends ever since the first Avengers in 2012, so I'm sure I'll be able to find SOMETHING else to share. (Though let me tell you, the early stuff is VERY bad.) Until then, stay low-key! ;D


End file.
